Creative Thinking for Managers

Course Overview

This one day course is designed to provide managers with the opportunity to review their problem solving style, its impact on the team and the ability to achieve enhanced business performance. Using a proven psychometric inventory tool, the programme will create an awareness of how each manager prefers to problem solve, its impact on their team and an awareness of how other people use their creativity as they solve problems.

Each manager will leave the programme with a practical application plan to help them lead more effectively, and harness the diverse styles of creativity that exist within their teams.

Audience

The course is for managers who would like the opportunity to review their preferred style of problem solving and the impact it may have on those they work with. It will enable those leading teams to make the most of the creative diversity in their team to deliver business objectives.

Skills Gained

By the end of this one day programme managers will be able to:

• Define the key steps in the problem solving process
• Clarify the meaning of creativity and its relationship with problem solving and decision making
• Assess and review their preferred problem solving style
• Understand the impact their style may be having on those they manage
• Appreciate and make the most of the diversity of those who work with them
• Harness the whole teams creativity to problem solve for increased business results
• Identify when it is appropriate to use certain techniques, depending on the specific problem

Course Outline

The Problem Solving Process

• How and why we solve problems
• Defining and linking problem solving, decision making and creativity
• Identifying and using the key steps in the problem solving process

Problem Solving Styles

• Identifying your preferred problem solving style
• The strengths and possible limitations of your preferred style
• Appreciating that we are all creative but in different ways

The Problem Solving Leader

• Problem-solving leadership
• The impact your preferred problem solving style has on those you lead
• Harnessing the creativity of all
• Building the effective problem solving team
• Managing the whole team's diversity and strengths to achieve business results
• Using coping behaviour and its long term effects
• The impact of your style when managing and leading others through change

Practical Problem Solving Techniques

• The problem solving techniques available
• Identifying and using particular techniques for particular problems